Super Late Thanksgiving Post

So late for this but happy thanksgiving! It was a good time, we made a lot of food and didn't even prepare everything that was on the list. The vegan foods consisted of: green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes (I have the recipe for that in an older blog post here), mushroom gravy, homemade applesauce, macaroni salad, and pumpkin pie. The macaroni salad came out wonderfully. It was my favorite. :) I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine and your holiday shopping is goin well. Be careful out there! I'll be making cookies today, so be prepared for a late posting of that too. :D

The Fault In Our Stars and Almost Thanksgiving

I read The Fault in Our Stars so fast, I may have to read it again. It was fantastic and sad and incredible. It makes me want to donate to cancer funds more (through my charity miles app, of course). The only thing I have to complain about is what happens to Hazel Grace? How long does she live? Does she find another? Does her friendship with Isaac develop into something more? So many questions...so many tears.

On another note, I bought my copy of the book because there was a note in it about something called nerdfighteria. If you don't know about it, check it out. Just search vlogbrothers on YouTube and be welcomed with warm gestures and hilarious nerd jokes.

To conclude today's blog, I would just like to say happy Thanksgiving! Mine will be vegan, but my roommate is making meat so she and others can enjoy something more "traditional". I'm so excited to watch the parade this year so I can see a sneak peek of Kinky Boots! I love the movie, I can only assume the musical is that much greater. I'll post some recipes from this Thanksgiving up later for all to see and ponder if it's worth making for the meat eating husbands out there. :) Thanks for reading!

Spicy Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

When I say spicy, I mean spicy! Bring some soy milk to the table when you eat this snack. :)

What you need:

1 head cauliflower

For the batter:

Dash of hot sauce

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1/4 cup hot sauce

1/4 cup Canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. For the batter, put all its ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Break down the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Dip the pieces into the batter. Make sure it's completely covered with batter. On a bakin pan covered with baking paper, place the dipped cauliflower and bake for 15-20 minutes. For the sauce, put all it's ingredients in a bowl and mix together. After the cauliflower are out of the the oven, sprinkle the sauce over it and bake again for 5 minutes more.

I made bigger than bite size pieces because I didn't want the hot sauce to overpower the cauliflower, but you can also ommit the hot sauce in the batter. Even though it was spicy, it was good!

You can also find the original recipe here:

http://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/12/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower/

Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I absolutely love mashed potatoes! And this one is easy to convert to a regular dish too, for those who aren't vegan. 

What you'll need:

1 whole head garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 potatoes, cooked

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1/2 cup soy creamer or soy milk

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Remove outer layer of skin from garlic head. Drizzle generously with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and place on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

3. Gently press cloves out of the skins, and mash smooth with a fork.

4. Using a mixer or a potato masher, combine roasted garlic with potatoes, margarine, and creamer or milk until smooth or desired consistency.

5. Season generously with salt and pepper.

I used a masher for my potatoes and I sprinkled a little nutmeg on top too. I also peeled the potatoes while the oven was preheating and started boiling them around the same time that I put in the garlic. They both finished around the same time (the potatoes took just a bit longer to cook). I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Vegan crepes and hazelnut spread

I love being a vegan! The recipes are so easy and you really don't spend as much as you think you do for ingredients.

The chocolate hazelnut spread recipe:

2 cups hazelnuts (or cashews), chopped

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Process nuts in a food processor until finely ground, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla, and process to combine.

3. Add oil, just a little bit at a time, until mixture is soft and creamy and desired consistency is reached. You may need to add a bit more or less than 4-5 tablespoons.

Per tablespoon:

Calories: 164  Fat: 14g  Sodium: 1mg  Fiber: 3g  Protein: 3g

Vegan crepes recipe:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup soy milk

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together all ingredients. Chill for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge and remix. (I found that if I let it warm a little bit after, it worked better)

2. Lightly grease a nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat.

3. Place about 1/4 cup batter in pan and swirl to coat. Cool for just a minute, until set, then carefully flip, using a spatula or even your hands. Heat for just 1 more minute, then transfer to a plate.

Per serving:

Calories: 221  Fat: 12g  Sodium: 336mg  Fiber: 1g  Protein: 4g

I filled my crepes with the chocolate hazelnut spread and it was oh so delicious! Beware though, the spread can be very sweet and rich. You can, of course, fill it with something else. :) Enjoy!